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Arialynn
=Arialynn Alis Maewood= Arialynn is an ordained holy knight of the Alliance, currently aligned with the Templars of the Rose. In her thirty-one years on Azeroth, she fought as a young recruit in the waning years of the Second War, and battled Scourge as a once-seasoned veteran in the Third. Her life on Azeroth began at the same time as the Dark Portal poured open its contents and wrecked havoc with the human race, and she's been a student of war since. Physical Appearance Arialynn's features are best described as angular, from the firm line of her chin to the tempered muscles behind her every sword swing. To the outside observer, the lady knight's every move is precise and speaks strongly of military. She is rarely, if ever, seen outside her full plate armor, and seemingly her only exception to this unspoken rule is to occasionally take off her helmet when asked. Year-round, her skin has a light olive complexion, a trait given to her by her mother. Her eyes are gray-blue and almond-shaped. As mentioned previously, the shape of her face is angular from a life of war and honing her skills - and this shape only emphasizes every stern expression the crosses her face. Which is far more often than not. Framing her face is thick dark hair, often pulled tightly into a short pony tail at the back of her head. Wayward strands tend to fall from this hold, but they are neither paid attention to, nor do they seem to hinder her prowess in battle. She otherwise seems to put little thought into outside appearances, with exception of her armor, weapon and tabard, each of which she keeps in pristine condition as long as brief times of rest between battles allow. History Family Arialynn was born to Illana and Thawn Maewood in the kingdom of Gilneas on the eve of the First War. Her father was a dedicated cleric, and mother a novice priestess, and had met while Thawn Maewood worked as a traveling missionary in south Kalimdor. They met, fell in love, married shortly thereafter, and Thawn brought his new wife back to the Eastern Kingdoms. Arialynn Alis Maewood was their first and only child, and her appearance a product of their mixed lineage. Thawn Maewood carried the usual traits of a Gilneas citizen: his shoulders were broad, hair dark, skin pale and nearly every manner about him was brisk. He was a man ardent in the Light's cause, and hardened from a life spent mostly in the harsh, stormy peninsula kingdom. Illana Maewood, on the other hand, was far more temperate in manner, but less so in appearance: darker-skinned and hair raven black, she also was a woman accustomed to harsh weathers, but of the desert variety. Regardless, she grew into a nurturing and kinder soul, and naturally took to the path of the priestess once she began a new life in Gilneas. Unfortunately for her, the proud citizens of Gilneas were less-than-welcoming to an outsider in their midst, even one married to one of their own. Gilneas Little time was spent in Gilneas in Arialynn's life, mostly due to the rumbles of the Second War. Following the fall of Stormwind to the orcish Horde, the numerous refugees being refused passage at Gilneas' gates forced Thawn into decision: the cleric resolved to leave Gilneas and its growing isolationist policy, and seek out the rumors of Uther the Lightbringer in the northenmost kingdom of Lordaeron. Though she was only six-years-old, Thawn took his only daughter with him, since Arialynn had already shown a strong connection to the Light by this time. Illana, her smaller talents having no place in war, was left behind in Gilneas, and maintained a low profile while living alone in a place less-than-welcoming to outsiders. Page, Squire, then Knight Arialynn Maewood grew into her skills with the Second War. She at first began as a young page to one of the many knights following the Lightbringer, then was elevated to squire years later as the war intensified. By the age of fifteen, Arialynn began fighting alongside her knight in battle. Her father often had her assigned to the same companies he was in, and kept a close eye on her progress. However, he refused to make her his own squire, desiring instead for her to be taught by knights with more experience. At the age of twenty, Arialynn became a knight and paladin in her own right, and her ordaining came just as the Second War of Azeroth finally ended. Third War When the Third War broke out years later, Arialynn was assigned along with others to protect Lordaeron and its nearby provinces. At the time, she was assigned to a company of holy knights that were, like herself, younger than most, and had older kin fighting at the more terrible fronts. Her father was among those that fought in what would later be known as the Plaguelands. At the time, their relationship as father and daughter was cordial at best, due to Thawn's lack of fatherly affection and Arialynn's growing dedication to the Light's cause. Unfortunately, these conditions kept both their eyes focused on a different horizon while Gilneas and its king decided to cut itself off from the world. When Greymane's wall went up, both Thawn and Arialynn were unaware of it for quite some time, due to the growing threat of a third war. Upon realization, too much time had passed to discover the whereabouts of Illana Maewood. It is still unknown whether the wife and mother fled Gilneas before its isolation was complete, or remained safely behind its growing wall while threats of war came to the northern kingdoms again. In current game time, Arialynn assumes that her mother is dead, but will still occasionally travel north to keep silent vigil outside Greymane's immense wall. While Prince Arthas began the dark road that eventually led to his throne in Icecrown, the war intensified on the Lordaeron home front. For the first time in years, Thawn and Arialynn were brought together in the same tour of duty as the Scourge mounted at Lordaeron's provinces. Unfortunately, their meetings tended to lead to several arguments, mainly based on the final fate of Illana. This lead to the both of them avoiding one another outside of military interaction. They battled the Scourge back-to-back, but exchanged few pleasant words. As the Scourge finally overtook Lordaeron, Arialynn's company was suddenly reassigned from defending the falling capital to escorting the remaining refugees as they fled to the lower kingdoms. At first, the news of this new duty surprised and incensed her, but after a final curt exchange with her father, she dutifully left to fulfill her orders. In this final meeting and parting, Thawn Maewood apologized to his daughter, and asked as a father for her to accepted her duty and flee south to stay alive. As she left, Arialynn suspected whether Thawn had something to do with her safer assignment, but the urgency of the time kept this suspicion from being confirmed. She fled south with her company and the refugees they were appointed to protect. At one point, Arialynn disobeyed direct orders and turned back to round up the refugees that fell behind. This act nearly killed her when she faced far more Scourge than she could handle. Only a last-minute rescue from her captain saved her from a gruesome fate, and with the saved refugees in tow, the two rejoined their company and rode south to safety. However, a black mark remained on her military record from that particular day, with the simple addendum: likely to disobey. To Stormwind In the years after the Third War, Arialynn enlisted in the Alliance military and fought its various battlefields. The most notably was Alterac Valley, where she battled both Frostwolves and ranks to achieve the title Knight-Captain. Her Alliance service eventually brought her to Stormwind and to a point in her military career where she was tired of fighting enemies that only quarreled for pieces of ancestral ground. As she traveled further south to observe the nearly raised Cathedral of Light, it was there that she hear word of the Templars of the Rose. Out of curiosity as well as whim, she arranged a meeting with its young commander, Commander Althwyn Mercier. The Templars of the Rose The lady knight and knight-captain of the Alliance at first began her time with the Templars warily. She took care to choose her words carefully when it came to matters such as the Horde, as well as her practiced killing of them on the battlefield. With her commander's blessing, she continued her campaigns with the Alliance armies, but strictly in places were the Horde was the antagonist, and not vice versa. However, as the Burning Legion once again reared its head as a threat to Azeroth, Arialynn and her fellow Templars took up sword and shield and struck out towards Outland. For the first time since the Third War, Arialynn bonded with her fellow comrades-and-arms, and developed close ties with Templars who she later on began to consider as adopted kin. One full year later and with Outland and the Sunwell quelled, the Templars celebrated the defeat of the Burning Legion once again within their own lifetimes. Regardless, once a year, she still goes on pilgrimage to the silent Greymane wall, where she spends a few days in silence in respect for her mother, Illana Maewood. Lately, this quiet tradition also includes paying respects to her father, who likely fell in the final defense of Lordaeron. Although Arialynn often embarks on these trips alone, the recent year's homage had two Templars standing respectfully by her side. Squire Meishka Terlania Work in progress.